Certain therapeutically valuable lipids are effective pro-inflammatorily and/or anti-inflammatorily (ANES and coworkers—Nat. Cell. Biol. 2003; 5: 793-802.) In in-vitro models with macrophage models and phagosomes a therapeutic effect of phosphatidyl choline (PC) and lyso-phosphatidyl choline (LysoPC) in an enrichment of these lipids in the respective cells could already be shown on inflammatory activities or a disturbed metabolism (Anes and coworkers—Nat. Cell. Biol. 2003; 5: 793-802.) A therapeutic effect of PC has already been shown in animal models, for example, with the topic application of the anti-inflammatorily effective phosphatidyl choline in rat models protecting colon mucosa from colitis induced by acetic acid and trinitro-benzosulfonic acid (FABIAN et al.—Digestion 1992; 53: 35-44; MOURELLE et al.—Gastroenterology 1996; 110: 1903-7.) Even in humans this principle has been applied for the treatment of the frequently chronic inflammatory intestinal disease colitis ulcerosa. Here, it could be shown that the oral administration of phosphatidyl choline in a retarding packaged form with a release in the lower small intestine and the colon significantly suppresses the inflammatory activity of colitis ulcerosa (STREMMEL et al.—Gut 2005; 54: 966-997, European patent 1 105 141 B1). Compared to a control group treated with placebo an improvement of the clinical activity on average by 70% could be achieved in 90% of the patients treated with PC. Within three months more than half of the patients reached even clinical remission. Simultaneously the endoscopic findings and the histology in the lower small intestines and the colon improved as well as the quality of life of the patient.
Based on the existing results it is probable that diseases of other cells, tissues, and organs in addition to the small intestine and the colon associated with inflammation could be treated with anti-inflammatorily effective lipids. However, it cannot be expected that the systemic unselective administration of phosphatidyl choline, for example, achieves the necessary anti-inflammatory effective level on site, thus local application is required. For example, in local, inflammatorily caused conditions anti-inflammatory lipids per se can be applied locally, such as, e.g., in the topical administration of inflamed skin areas, the instillation in joint cavities for arthritis, the inhalation of suitable preparations into the bronchial system for treating pneumonia, or in the instillation of lipid suspensions into the gastro-intestinal tract, e.g., the esophagus, the stomach, the duodenum, and the rectum.
The local application in parenchymatous organs, such as liver, hearth, and brain presents a more difficult problem. Here, in order to achieve a high local concentration in these organs a local infusion of therapeutically effective lipid suspensions or the use of reversible embolisation techniques could occur, however, no real alternatives develop for the local application with regard to the duration of the infusion and the risks to be feared by the application of embolisation techniques.